The Knowledge Death Brings
by Lady Shadow 77
Summary: "Who would've thought that one could learn so much about Raven just by dying?"


**What's this? A story that doesn't have Raven as a listed character? *shoots self***

**. . . Don't worry, she's pretty important. But Beast Boy is big here, so. . . tell me what you think about me writing as our favorite little shapeshifter (because whoever told his comic self to go by Changeling was just uneducated, and Menagerie sounds like a girl hero's name - gender bender idea?!)**

**Anywho, read, review, possibly flame, and remember to ignore the martian in your toilet!**

**And I don't own Teen Titans because Cartoon Network is a big pack-rat and their expensive.**

**Yodle!**

Now, Beast Boy wasn't the smartest boy in the world. Of course, he wasn't dumb either (even Raven had told him so; said he was simply 'uneducated'). He was superhero - a pretty dang good one too - and a protector of the city. It was safe to say that he had the best friends/comrades/family that you could ever get here too. Sure, there were arguments and yelling and injuries and fights, but none of them were like how they had been in the Doom Patrol were Mento actually meant what he said and everyone else only watched. It was much better.

Still, they were awesome superheroes and as such had to fight all the bad guys. So when some sort of magical cult started causing trouble, it was natural for them to respond; it's what they do.

Of course, they cult people knew that as well.

They had been separated and had to fight these really creepy cult people that wouldn't die and if they did they got back up and it was really freaky. So, it was only natural that Beast Boy would look for his team so they could think of a plan and have an awesome counterattack like they always did.

He certainly didn't expect to die just as he found them.

He remembered hearing Starfire scream angrily and heard Cyborg say his nickname, and he also heard sounds like "Titans Get Them" and some strange electric sound that he felt he should recognize but everything was getting blurry and dark and cold-

- Beast Boy had never been this scared.

Of course, he had never expected to be sitting in a garden with white marble either.

He slowly stood up, noting that he was not bleeding or hurt and seemed to be completely fine.

". . . Dude," he breathed as he looked around the garden. "Raven would _so _dig this place."

"So you are a friend of Raven's."

Beast Boy had never jumped into a tree as a squirrel so fast. Hiding behind a branch, he curled up and cowered down; they could be giants or mutant green people eaters or more Newfu slaves or talking six-armed hamsters. And he was going to avoid fighting a six-armed hamster, thank you very much.

However, instead of garbled yelling and six-armed hamsters trying to eat him (because of course they'd be green people eaters too), he heard a chuckle that was definitely feminine and pretty and nice and definitely not hamster in origin.

"This explains a lot about her current emotional state. Don't worry young man, I certainly won't try to eat you or anything. You can come down without any fear."

After taking a moment to decide whether or not he was going to trust the nice-sounding lady, Beast Boy decided to - to - right, to survey the subject of conversation before proceeding (nice and official sounding isn't it?). So, still in squirrel form, he peered his head above the branch and looked down.

The lady wasn't anything but beautiful. She had long silver hair that reached all the way down her back, but it didn't make her look old at all. Her skin was pale without making her look all vampiric or Raven-like, and she had pretty gold amber eyes that looked at him just as clearly as Raven did. She even had a red stone on her forehead like Raven. In fact, a lot about her made him think of Raven. And hadn't she mentioned her like a few seconds ago?

"Uh, so," he said as he morphed back into human form (still in the tree). "You know Raven?"

"Indeed," the woman smiled; she had a pretty one too. "I am her former teacher."

"Dude! I didn't even think she _needed _a teacher!"

"Is that so?" The woman seemed highly amused.

"Yeah! I mean, she's all cool and collected and awesome even with her backstory; she's cooler than Sasuke for crying out loud!"

"Sasuke? . . ."

"And you're her teacher! Dude, that's awesome! So you taught her everything she knows and watched her grow up and knew her when she was little and stuff?"

"And stuff," the woman agreed, patting on the bench next to her. Beast Boy leapt off the tree eagerly, still talking as he sat down.  
"So what was she like? Did she smile much when she was a kid? I've always wanted to make her smile more; it's kinda one of my goals and I like when she smiles because it means she's really happy and I don't like it when someone's sad and-"

"Beast Boy," the woman held up a hand. "Yes, I taught her. Yes I watched her grow up and yes I knew her when she was little. Now, if you wish for me to tell you what she was like-" A silence hit them for a moment before she continued. "Well, let's just say she didn't smile much, though it was no fault of her own."

"Oh. Well, I guess that's why she doesn't smile a lot now. But she's smiling more now than she did when we first met!"

"I know."

". . ." Beast Boy looked at her in the classic 'Over My Head' look. "You do?"

"Yes. I've been keeping an eye on her ever since I came here."

"You've been... you mean you've been watching her all magicky like?"

"If that's how you wish to phrase it, yes. I have been watching her all magicky like."

"Dude."

"I was very happy when she became friends with the four of you," the woman continued. "She didn't have any friends at all while she grew up, and I was the only one that she seemed to have. Now though, she has other people to rely on, who in return rely on her. It fills me with joy to see her overcome her heritage." Beast Boy looked away from the sky to her.

"You know about the Trigon-stuff?"

"Yes. In fact, if it wasn't for the 'Trigon-stuff', I would never have met her and become her teacher. You see, my family was tasked with the duty of staving off Trigon and his evil from overtaking the world. The family of Azar."

"Wait? Dude, you're Azar?! With the rings?!"

"One of them, yes. My family was placed in charge of a peaceful society that would become a haven while simultaneously giving us a safe place from Trigon while we combatted him. When one of our family members took place as the leader of this world - Azarath - they would take on the name Azar. I am the six hundreth Azar, and the last."

". . . . . Dude, that's just. . . . . dude." Beast Boy frowned. "What do you mean last?"

"Well, if there's no more Azarath, there's no more family to take on the name."

". . . . Azarath is gone?" Azar nodded.

"Destroyed by Trigon."

"But I thought it was supposed to be safe from Trigon!"

"It was. But after my death, a fool's choice was made, and as a result Trigon managed to bring his forces, and eventually himself, in. There is nothing left of it now I believe."

". . . You mean, Raven's home is-"

"It was not Raven's home," Beast Boy flinched a little at the sudden change in tone. "It was her prison. You four are her home."

". . . I guess that makes sense. But how come you never visit her? I don't know a lot about her, but I can't see her not want to see her teacher again."

"I can't Beast Boy. I'm dead."

"You're . . . . Wait, then - then - if you're - then am I - I can't be-"

"What do you remember before you came here Beast Boy?"

". . . . " Beast Boy then collapsed.

"Garfield," Azar prompted. "The wound was mortal, but I intervened. You're not dead."

"I'm not?" She chuckled at the now conscious boy.

"No. I wouldn't let a friend of Raven die; she'd just go into Limbo and bring you back herself, and I'd like to spare her that. It is a one time thing though, so don't go into a battle expecting me to save you."

"Yeah, that's kind of everyone else's job," Beast Boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "But uh, if I'm not dead, then why am I here?"

"The answer is simple," Azar's eyes glinted. "Someone has to make sure Raven's keeping good company."

Beast Boy gulped.

"And I must say-"

"Please don't disapprove or kill me or eat me or tell Raven to quit or anything I'm sorry I'm sorry it's not my fault and if you're gonna get rid of me at least get rid of Cy too I mean without me around he'll kill all the poor little cows and I'm the only one that can stop him and-"

"-That she's made some excellent choices."

". . . . Huh?" Azar laughed

"You better get going now. Your friends will start to think you're not coming back."

"Oh! Right! Uh, it was nice to meet you Mz. Azar and all, so uh-"

"But first," Azar placed her hand on top of his head. "There's something I want you to do. Don't tell anyone about this."

"Uh, you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay, then."

"And," Azar smiled. "There's something I want you to say to Raven. You'll know when."

When Beast Boy opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was four pairs of eyes staring at him.

"He's up!"

"Thank goodness!"

"Grass Stain, you okay?"

"Firing off a round of questions after he barely survived a fatal wound. Does anything else see how that's a bad idea?"

"Uh, hey guys," Beast Boy said, sitting up as he let out a hiss of pain. "My shoulder feels like lukewarm pudding."

"You were stabbed with dark magic," Raven reported. "The only way it wouldn't have hurt was if you had died."

"Oh."

"Friend Beast Boy! I am most glad to see you unharmed!" Starfire cried as she floated, her body slowly moving up and down. "We must celebrate!"

"Star," Robin was quick to use his leader powers and intervene. "How about we just give him some time to recover?"

"That is also a good idea!" Starfire grabbed the traffic light's arm. "Let us depart to prepare the glorg for when he has fully recovered!"

"Well, I have to go make medicine for dark magic," Raven sighed as the two lovebirds exited the room at lightspeed. "I used all I had left here. You're lucky I still had some."

"Hey, BB," Cyborg whispered as Raven headed towards the door. "What was it like being near death? I mean, if you don't want to talk about it's okay man-"

"It was weird, that's all I'm going to say," Beast Boy replied quickly, doing his best to keep his promise. "Oh, and Raven?"

"Yes?" Purple eyes met green, and Beast Boy took a second to remember what it was.

"Right. Uh, you don't blame yourself, do you? Because, uh. . . . to blame oneself for, uh, stuff that's not really controllable, for uh, you, is kinda stupid. Just uh, get better at well, control, so uh. . . . yeah."

Cyborg blinked, his processors failing at processing. Raven was in a similar state. Beast Boy let out a nervous chuckle, grinning sheepishly.

"So, you don't blame yourself, right?"

". . . ." Raven closed her eyes. "Not anymore. I'll be back in a few minute to see how your wound is doing, Garfield."

After she had left, Cyborg looked at him.

"She called you by your name, man. That's either really good, or really bad. And what in the world where you trying to say?"

"I was just trying to cheer up a friend," Beast Boy defended himself. "And uh, I sorta forgot the words. . ."

"The what?"

Raven let the door to her room close behind her with a faint whoosh, unclasping her hood and letting it fall to the ground. She walked over to the mirror, where her medicinal tools lay, and as she began her work, allowed herself to close her eyes.

"_Azar," Raven whispered, her frame shaking as she attempted to control herself, eyes locked onto the still form of the bird. "I. . . I. . . I _killed _it."_

_Her mouth was held open, breaths coming in loudly and quickly. Azar quickly grabbed the girl, holding her shaking form to her own still one in an attempt to stop her hyperventilating._

"_Raven, shush."_

"_I. . . I. . . I _killed_ it. I didn't mean to, it just - I was - and then it was - I was startled - I didn't meant to - _I killed it_."_

"_Raven," Azar spoke softly. "You did kill it. But to blame yourself for something you can't control is foolish. You simply must gain more control over yourself so that this will not repeat itself. Do not let the guilt consume you, instead keep this memory as kindle to the fire, and allow it to motivate you into mastering your powers."_

"Why am I not surprised?" Raven mused aloud as she opened her eyes, smiling faintly. "You just don't know when to quit, do you teacher?"

"Of course not," Azar said as she looked through her mirror in her garden, eye smiling at the image of her student. "I am the one that taught you persistence in the first place, after all."

**Tadum!**

**Man, I really hate writing Starfire, and Starfire and Robin. Not that I hate the pairing, it's just really hard for me. I guess I'm better at writing more, darky and opposites attract and awesome banter couples. Though, Starfire is awesome, and Robin's only a certain body part sometimes.**

**But hey, hope you enjoyed! Those who are BBxRae friends knock yourself out, and those who aren't may see this as friend stuff. NO PAIRING FIGHTS HERE. THIS IS A NEUTRAL ZONE.**

**. . . . Except for the stories I write about a pairing specifically. I won't even try to control that.**

**So yeah, hope you liked! Any other ideas about Azar and the rest of the Titans meeting can be put in your review!**

**Yodle!**


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